Environmental Protection Agency Earth Day Award

April 22, 1999
Contact Bobbie Bratz, (805) 961-8890

Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) today received an Earth Day Award from the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Region 9 Office in San Francisco. "Today’s honorees have applied creativity, teamwork and leadership in addressing many of California’s most pressing and complex environmental problems," said Felicia Marcus, Regional Administrator for Region 9, which covers California, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, the Pacific Islands, and tribal lands.

Twenty-two California organizations and individuals were recognized for their 1998 efforts at the Region Office in a ceremony this morning. APCD, the only winner in Santa Barbara County, was one of only five winners in the state in the local government category.

APCD won the award for two 1998 projects of the agency’s Innovative Technologies Group (ITG) program: the Clean Air Express Dual-Fuel Bus Project, which launched the nation’s first dual-fuel (compressed natural gas) low-emission commuter buses in Lompoc; and the Agricultural Booster Pump Initiative, which helped farmers replace high-polluting water pump engines with new engines that are 75 percent lower emitting. The award recognized the ITG program for using "innovative approaches to achieve air pollution reductions in two areas —transportation and agriculture—in which the agency has no regulatory authority."

Kathy Patton, Manager of APCD’s Technology and Environmental Assessment Division, explained that ITG puts together voluntary projects to achieve cost-effective reductions of air pollution. She remarked, "These projects demonstrate how we can use new technologies to clean our air and at the same time benefit our county businesses and residents." She added, "We are very pleased by this recognition from USEPA—and we share this award with the farmers and commuters who participate in the success of these two projects." APCD estimates these projects will cut about 380 tons of nitrogen oxides pollution.

Since 1988, APCD’s ITG program has implemented many emission reduction projects similar to those recognized by USEPA. These projects have included repowering of boats with lower emission engines, construction of bike paths, retrofit of greenhouse boilers (heaters) with low-emission burners, funding purchase of electric buses for use by transit and school districts, and many others. For more information on these programs, contact the APCD Innovative Technologies Group at 961-8800, or at apcd@sbcapcd.org.

More information on the award is available in USEPA Region 9's press release on the award, and by contacting Bobbie Bratz at 961-8890. Local partners on the two ITG projects that were recognized may also be contacted:
Eric Onnen, CEO, Santa Barbara Airbus, operator of the Clean Air Express Bus service, 964-7759 ext 109
Gary Guggia, Owner, Guggia Farms, 680-9221

In this photo, APCD Engineer Eric Peterson checks emissions from a new water pump engine on a Santa Maria farm. APCD has helped farmers replace sixty older, higher-polluting water pump engines with new engines that reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides by as much as 75 percent. The new engines, used to boost water pressure for farm irrigation, are also more fuel-efficient and easier to maintain. "It’s a win-win for the farmer and the county’s air," said Joe Prandini of Betteravia Farms in Santa Maria.

APCD received the award on Earth Day, April 22, 1999. Earth Day was celebrated in Santa Barbara on April 18 in De La Guerra Plaza. APCD was there with our booth and our General Motors EV-1 electric car, on loan to APCD from Saturn of Oxnard.